Medical Deportation, also known as Medical Repatriation, is the practice by which hospitals in the United States transport ill or injured non-citizens, or those perceived to be non-citizens, to medical facilities abroad. This practice is typically forced and completely circumvents the federal immigration process.

The consequences of medical repatriation can be dire. When hospitals send seriously ill or injured immigrant patients directly from their hospital beds to their native countries, patients’ lives are jeopardized because they are sent to facilities that do not have the resources to provide needed care. Often, this results in significant deterioration of a patient’s health or even death.